"Strike Force" Unit Hits Buffalo Streets | News

BUFFALO, NY - A new Buffalo Police unit called "Strike Force" hits the streets today.

The police commissioner says the 40-man unit, which consists of state, county and city officers, will be able to blanket neighborhoods and go after the core of the crime problem in the city.

"State Police have (already) been working with the Mobile Response Unit under Operation Impact. The Sheriff's Office now are coming in. We're also going to have access to the Sheriff's helicopter, so it's going to be a very, I believe a very effective unit," said Commissioner Daniel Derenda.

Local law enforcement started developing this unit after several recent high-profile shootings, including the incident at Martin Luther King Park, where 5 people were shot last month.

While the number of homicides city-wide is actually down a little right now, the number of shootings is up by about 50 percent.
Local police hope this new unit will help.

They're also trying to convince more witnesses to come forward.

At almost every crime scene someone has seen what happened, and detectives are constantly asking for the public's help to solve these crimes.